The Three Steles of Seth

The Three Steles of Seth

[Three hymns of ascent and descent, revealed by Seth; spoken first going up through the powers, then returning.]

[The First Stele]

I bless you, Father, the Self-Begotten;

you are the first to appear, the great one.

We bless you, who gave us being;

for through you we have come to know the One who is.

You are one; you are one; you are one,

O Child of the Father, who is over every name.

[The Second Stele]

Great is the first aeon, Barbelo,

the mother and the womb of the all,

who beheld the One that is before her

and brought forth the eternal beings.

We bless you, who unite the divided,

and gather the many into one.

[The Third Stele]

We rejoice, we rejoice, we rejoice;

we have seen, we have seen the One who truly is,

the Pre-existent, who exists before existence.

You are the source; from you we came,

and to you we ascend.

Be silent; be still; for the One is beyond all word.

Whoever remembers these and glorifies will be perfected; and whoever ascends through them will descend again, having received what is given, and will bless and be silent. For the way up and the way down are one. [Text missing]